Policy Number: UW-3003
Responsible Office: Accounting Services, Division of Business Services
University
Responsible Office: Accounting Services, Division of Business Services
Payments to IndividualsScopeApplies to deans, directors, and staff who prepare payments. PolicyThe Payment to Individual Report (PIR) is used to request all payments to individual non-employees. In the process of fulfilling their mission to instruct, conduct research, and perform public service, departments within the University of Wisconsin–Madison may find it necessary to pay individuals who are not employed by the university. An individual is defined as “a person who is not a company, partnership, corporation, association, organization, trust or estate, and for whom an employer-employee relationship does not exist.” See UW System Administrative Policy SYS 235: Personal Services Payment for more details. This policy includes paying individual non-employees for goods and services, prizes and awards, fellowships, and scholarships. Travel and expenses are reimbursed separately using e-Reimbursement UW-Madison Accounting Services will comply with the rules set forth by the UW System, Board of Regents, and federal government concerning non-salary payments as established in the following documents:
UW–Madison requires that a completed and signed form W-9 (or W-8BEN for Non-Resident Aliens) be attached to all tax reportable payments made/requested through all payment mechanisms (Payment to Individual Reports (PIR), Direct Payments (DP), Purchase Orders (PO), Academic Support Services Orders (ASSO), etc. Any payments to a non-employee on the account codes listed on the document, 1099-MISC/1042S Tax Reportable Transactions by Account Codes, must be paid through the Payment to Individual Report (PIR), Direct Payment (DP), or Purchasing Services (PO’s, ASSA, etc.). Payments to Research Subjects must be made following the policies and procedures at UW-3005 Payments to Research Participants. Non-U.S. Source Income payments are exempt from tax withholding and reporting. For details on what constitutes Non-U.S. Source Income payments please refer to Federal Tax Withholding under the section on Non-U.S. Source Income. ProcedureGeneral GuidelinesThe Payment to Individual Report (PIR) is used to request all payments to individuals except salaries, employee reimbursements, and payments to subcontractors and architects. An individual is defined as “a person who is not a company, partnership, corporation, association, organization, trust or estate, and for whom an employer-employee relationship does not exist.” See UW System Administrative Policy SYS 235: Personal Services Payment for more details. Examples of valid payments processed with a PIR:
Notes:
Account Codes
Definitions of Payments That Can Be Made Using a PIRA. Scholarships/Fellowships
Student assistants are enrolled University of Wisconsin graduate students, and, on occasion, undergraduate students, who are appointed and paid directly through department channels. Payments for assistantship stipends must be payrolled. Payments to undergraduates are generally reported on the grid form and those to graduate students are reported on a PIR. The titles authorized for student assistants are Research Assistant, Program/Project Assistant, Teaching Assistant, and Undergraduate Assistant. Additional student appointments, which also must be payrolled, are Fellow, Scholar, Trainee, Advanced Opportunity Fellow, Special Graduate Trainee, and House fellow/Resident Assistant. Although payments for assistantship stipends must be sent through payroll, other payments to support the research of research assistants or student appointments should be requested on the Payment to Individual Report. An example of this type of payment is a travel award to a research assistant. Lump-sum payments for scholarships/fellowships which are not related to student assistantships are generally requested through the Payment to Individual Report using the appropriate student aid class codes. Examples are athletic scholarships, participant payments, and departmental scholarships. For scholarship payments to U.S. persons, it is highly encouraged that the Scholarship Process be used by contacting your Dean’s Office. However, effective 01/01/2015 all scholarship payments (whether for graduate or undergraduate students) to Nonresident Aliens (NRA) must be processed through Payroll due to the immigration documentation and taxation requirements. B. Prizes and Awards
Cash prizes and awards which are in any way related to a person’s employment with the University MUST be paid through the payroll system as a lump sum payment. An example of this type of payment is an award to a faculty member for excellence in teaching. The payment will be subject to tax and social security withholding and will be reported on the employee’s W2 form. Cash prizes and awards are considered taxable income and are reported to federal and state tax authorities. In contrast, scholarships and fellowships are taxable only to the extent they exceed tuition, books, and course-related supplies and equipment. Scholarships and fellowships to U.S. residents are not reported to federal and state tax authorities. It is very important that scholarships and fellowships be reported on the appropriate scholarship/fellowship account code. Scholarships and fellowships recorded on a prizes/awards class code will receive incorrect tax treatment. If you are unsure if a payment qualifies as an award or a scholarship, the determining factor should be whether the student has unrestricted access to the funds. It is most likely a scholarship if the recipient must be currently registered or registered in the future at an educational institution in order to receive the payment. It is most likely an award if the recipient is entitled to receive payment regardless of student status. C. Services (refer to account codes 26XX for specific account codes)
D. Research Subjects Payments (account code 2637)
E. Royalties (account code 3860)
F. Rents (refer to account codes 23XX for specific account codes)
Instructions for Completing the Payment to Individual Report Form
Policies for ComplianceCertification of ComplianceUW System Administrative Policy SYS 235: Personal Services Payment requires certification of compliance on all requests for payment. Your signature on the PIR or requisition is a certification that you have read UW System Administrative Policy SYS 235: Personal Services Payment and the transaction is in compliance with the policy. Exception to FPPP #31Section III of UW System Administrative Policy SYS 235: Personal Services Payment states “When an institution determines an employment relationship exists, the individual must be appointed and paid on payroll unless the exception under ‘Employment Procedures’ is met. The exception listed under ‘Employment Procedures’ includes payments of less than $500 for a series of definitely predicted events to persons other than current UW System employees, full-time state employees, or students attending UW System institutions.” Part-time state employees are not covered by the exception under “Employment Procedures”. In making the determination whether the individual is considered a student attending a UW System institution for the purposes of this exception, a student who is eligible for student employment falls into this category. Contact Academic Personnel for current guidelines regarding eligibility for student employment. The term “a series of definitely predicted events” is to be taken literally. The $500 payment limit applies to any series of definitely predicted events, regardless of time period or source of funding. UW-Madison has requested and received approval to make one additional exception to the policy. If the individual performing the service is a non-U.S. resident and the work is performed outside the United States, the individual may be paid as an independent contractor, regardless of whether an employment relationship exists. Academic Support Services PoliciesChapter 36 of the Wisconsin Statutes gives the Board of Regents the authority to enter into contracts in order to fulfill the instruction, research, and public service missions of the University. Contracts entered into under this authority do not need to follow the state purchasing statutes found in Chapter 16 of the Wisconsin Statutes. UW System Administrative Policy SYS 235: Personal Services Payment permits the use of Chapter 36 authority to obtain unique services directly in support of instruction, research, or public service (referred to as Academic Support Services), without obtaining bids or waiver of bid authority. Before deciding if a service qualifies as an Academic Support Service, it is necessary to ascertain that the person performing the service should not be payrolled. If it is not a payroll transaction, Purchasing Services will make the final determination as to whether a service may be considered an Academic Support Service. The requisition process must be used for all academic support service requests. A PIR cannot be used for such transactions. UW System Administrative Policy SYS 235: Personal Services Payment requires signed agreements for academic support services if the cost is $5,000 or more (excluding itemized travel). Agreements may be written at the department’s option for services costing less than $5,000. Purchasing Services will generate the agreement and send it to the vendor for signature. For more information on the format of such agreements, contact Purchasing Services. Regardless of the dollar amount, Academic Support Services Agreements must be signed by an authorized contracting officer for the institution. This generally is the Director of Purchasing Services. You do not have the authority to sign such agreements. Related UW-Madison PoliciesRelated UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other ResourcesPolicy AdministrationApproval AuthorityAssistant Vice Chancellor of Business Services and Controller Policy ManagerDirector of Disbursement Services Policy ContactDepartmental staff should contact their respective Divisional Business Office for policy questions. -- Divisional Business Officers may contact, expensereimbursement@bussvc.wisc.edu Policy History
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